Luer-activated valve

ABSTRACT

A normally closed valve that may be opened upon insertion of a nozzle permits two-way flow when opened by a luer-taper nozzle. The valve also is able to resist large back pressures. The valve includes a substantially rigid housing that defines a passageway having an inlet section and an outlet section. The housing has an exterior inlet face to which the inlet section opens. The inlet section preferably has tapered and expanding zones. The tapered zone is adjacent to the exterior inlet face and is shaped to receive the nozzle. The expanding zone is adjacent to the tapered zone and has a larger inner diameter than the tapered zone&#39;s inner diameter. The exterior of the inlet section of the housing may have threads to accept luer-lock threads that may surround the nozzle.

PRIORITY

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/810,087, filed Mar. 16, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,890.U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/810,087 is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/479,327, filed Jan. 6, 2000 now U.S. Pat.No. 6,883,778, (which is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/117,359), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/394,169, filed Sep. 13, 1999 now U.S.Pat. No. 6,039,302, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 08/970,125, filed Nov. 13, 1997 now abandoned, which is anon-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/031,175,filed Nov. 18, 1996, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/034,708, filed Jan. 3, 1997. All of these patents and patentapplications are incorporated herein, in their entireties, by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to valves that may be actuated by nozzlesand in particular by male Luer fittings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a normally closed valve that may beopened upon insertion of a nozzle, which in a preferred embodiment is amale Luer fitting. The valve permits two-way flow when opened by aluer-taper nozzle and is able to resist large back pressures. The valveincludes a substantially rigid housing that defines a passageway havingan inlet section and an outlet section. The housing has an exteriorinlet face to which the inlet section opens. The inlet sectionpreferably has tapered and expanding zones, with the tapered zone beingadjacent the exterior inlet face and being shaped to receive the nozzle,and with the expanding zone being adjacent to the tapered zone andhaving a larger inner diameter than the tapered zone's inner diameter.Preferably, the exterior of the inlet section of the housing has threadsto accept luer-lock threads that may surround the nozzle.

The valve also includes a substantially rigid cannula disposed withinthe passageway and extending into the inlet section. The cannula ismovable between first and second positions corresponding to closed andopen modes of the valve. The valve further includes a substantiallyflexible, resilient gland member having (i) a seal section disposed overthe inlet end of the cannula, (ii) a tubular section connected to theseal section and disposed around the cannula between cannula and thehousing, and in a preferred embodiment, (iii) an attachment sectionconnected to the tubular section and attached to the housing. The sealsection has a normally closed aperture therethrough, and preferably hasan outer diameter that is larger than the inner diameter of the taperedzone of the housing's inlet section and smaller than the inner diameterof the expanding zone.

The inlet end of the cannula and the gland are preferably shaped so asto permit the gland's seal section to move with respect to the cannula.Preferably, the valve includes means for limiting this movement of theseal section, for example by including a step on either the cannula'sinlet end or the inner diameter of the gland. The inlet end of thecannula may be shaped to urge the seal section open when nozzle pressesthe seal section against the inlet end of the cannula while the sealsection is in the expanding zone of the housing inlet section. In apreferred embodiment, a space is provided between the seal section andthe cannula when the valve is in the closed position.

When the valve is in its closed mode, the seal section is substantiallyaligned with the exterior inlet face of the housing so as to provide aswabbable surface; preferably the seal section extends a small amountbeyond the exterior inlet face so as to ensure that the seal sectionsurface is fully swabbable. Preferably, the outlet end of the cannula isshaped so as to provide a back-pressure seal with the attachment sectionof the gland member.

In a preferred embodiment, the attachment section of the gland member isstretched as the valve is urged by the nozzle from the valve's closedmode to the valve's opened mode. In addition, the tubular section of thegland member is preferably compressed as the valve is urged by thenozzle from the valve's closed mode to the valve's opened mode. In analternative embodiment, the outlet end of the cannula is shaped (e.g.,as a leaf spring) to provide a flexible member that urges the cannulainto the first position.

The housing preferably includes gland-stopping structure for stoppingmovement of the gland towards the outlet section of the valveindependently of movement of the cannula. Cannula-stopping structure mayalso be provided, on the housing or on the cannula's outlet end, forstopping movement of the cannula towards the outlet section of the valvewhile permitting flow to the outlet section of the valve.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings whereinare set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodimentsof this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a valve according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2-6 show longitudinal sectional views of the valve shown in FIG.1, as the valve is urged by a luer-taper nozzle from a fully closedposition to a fully open position.

FIGS. 7-9 show longitudinal section views of three alternativeembodiments of the gland that may be used in the valve shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in the closedposition.

FIG. 11 shows a variation of the FIG. 10 embodiment in the openposition.

FIG. 12 shows a another alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 shows a variation of the FIG. 1 embodiment.

FIG. 13A shows a cross section of the FIG. 13 embodiment.

FIGS. 14A-14C shows how the gland's seal section opens in response to anozzle being inserted into the valve.

FIG. 15 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a valve according toanother embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 16A-16D show longitudinal sectional views of the valve shown inFIG. 15, as the valve is urged by a luer-taper nozzle from a fullyclosed position to a fully open position.

FIGS. 16E-16G show end views of the seal section of FIGS. 16D-16Drespectively.

FIG. 17 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a valve according toanother embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 18A-18D show longitudinal sectional views of the valve shown inFIG. 17, as the valve is urged by a luer-taper nozzle from asubstantially fully closed position to a substantially fully openposition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, thevalve is made from four components: an inlet housing portion 34, anoutlet housing portion 48, a gland 12 and a movable, rigid interiorcannula 14. The two housing portions preferably are ultrasonically shearwelded together at area 30, so as to form an integral housing and so asto hold one end of the gland 12 in a gland-retention area 32. Fluidpassing through the valve passes through the cannula 14, which islocated within the gland 12, which in turn is located within thehousing.

The gland 12 has three sections: a swabbable seal section 10, a tubularsection 18 and an attachment section 20. Preferably, the valve is madefrom silicone. The seal section 10 has an aperture 42 passing throughit; the aperture 42 may be, for example, a pierced hole or a slit. Whenthe valve is in the closed mode, as shown in FIG. 1, the aperture 42 isheld closed by the inner surface of the housing; the inner diameter ofthe housing at the inlet is smaller than the outer diameter of the sealsection 10 of the gland 12, so that the housing squeezes the sealsection 12, thereby forcing the aperture 42 closed. This compressionzone 40 of the passageway through the housing is tapered to accept andhold a luer-tapered nozzle (item 60 in FIG. 2). Further down thehousing's passageway a second zone 44 has an inner diameter that isgreater than that of the tapered, compression zone 40 and greater thanthe outer diameter of the seal section 10, so that the seal section mayexpand when it is forced into this zone, thereby permitting the aperture42 to open. The inlet housing portion 34 preferably includes a vent 16to ease the movement of the seal section 10 between the expanding zoneand the tapered zone. When the valve is in the fully closed position,the gland's seal section 10 is flush with or extends slightly above theexterior inlet face 52 of the housing. The seal section 10 and theexterior inlet face 52 thus present a swabbable surface, i.e., they maybe easily wiped clean with an alcohol swab, for instance.

The tubular section 18 of the gland 12 is preferably designed to becompressible. Another section 54 of the gland 12, located between theseal section and the compressible, tubular section may be shaped tomatch a corresponding ledge 56 on the cannula 14, so as to hold the topsection of the gland 12 in place on the cannula.

In addition to the seal section 10 of the gland 12, the valve has asecond seal area 22 at the outlet end of the cannula 14. The outlet end58 of the cannula 14 is shaped so as to provide a seal against the gland12. The cannula's outlet end 58 has a wider outer diameter than theinner diameter of the compressible, tubular section 18 of the gland, andthe fluid passageway 36 through the cannula has a channel 28 thatredirects the passageway sideways into the gland 12. This arrangementforms a seal when the valve is in the closed position, as shown in FIG.1, and is able to resist a large amount of back pressure from the outletend 50 of the valve. The inlet housing portion 34 preferably includes arigid annular extension 33 that separates the gland's tubular section 18from the gland's attachment section 20. This annular extension 33ensures that the tubular and attachment sections of the gland 12 do notfold incorrectly when the valve is opened and closed. In addition, theannular extension 33, in connection with the gland, ensures that thecannula's outlet section 58 does not get forced too far up into theinlet section by a large amount of back pressure. The annular extension33 also prevents the lower portion of the gland 12 from being forced toofar up into the inlet section. Since the valve has a second seal area22, formed by the cannula's outlet end 58, that is able to resist largeback pressures, the first seal—the aperture 42 through the gland's sealsection 10—does not have to resist large back pressures.

Preferably, the gland's tubular section 18 is preloaded, by making thegland's tubular section sufficiently long with respect to the distancebetween the cannula's ledge 56 and the cannula's outlet end 58, so thatthe gland's tubular section is under compression even when the valve isin the closed position. This arrangement improves the effectiveness ofthe second seal area 22. By preloading the gland's tubular section 18,the valve is made more resistant to opening in response to either apositive pressure or a negative pressure applied to the outlet 50. Byhaving a sufficient amount of surface area of the gland 12 exposed tothe outlet 50 with respect to the surface area of the cannula 14 exposedto the outlet, the effect on a closed valve of a negative pressure atthe outlet will be to pull the gland toward the outlet along with thecannula 14. By having a negative pressure pull both the gland 12 and thecannula 14 toward the outlet, the second seal area 22 remains sealed.

The cannula's outlet end 58 may be made thin, so that in an emergency aneedle—instead of a luer-taper nozzle—may be used with the valve. Theneedle may be inserted through the seal section's aperture 42 throughthe cannula's passageway, and then, if the outlet end 58 is made thinenough, the needle may pierce the outlet so that medication may beinjected through the valve. The outlet end does need to be strong enoughto resist whatever level of back pressure may be expected from thevalve's outlet 50.

The outlet housing portion 48 includes a ledge 24 to prevent the gland12—in particular, the gland's attachment section 20—from extending toofar towards the valve's outlet 50. This ledge 24 does not stop themovement of the cannula 14 towards the outlet 50; thus, the cannula'soutlet end 58 may continue to move toward the valve's outlet 50 andseparate from the gland 12, thereby opening the second seal area 22, ifit has not yet opened. The outlet housing portion 48 also includes ribs26 for stopping the movement of the cannula 14 toward the valve's outlet50, while permitting flow from the cannula 14 between the ribs 26 to thevalve's outlet.

To facilitate the centering of the nozzle as it is being inserted intothe valve, the interior surface of the gland's seal section 10 has asmall hollow area 46 shaped to receive the inlet end 38 of the cannula14. The inlet end of the cannula 14 is shaped to cause the opening ofthe seal section's aperture 42 when the seal section 10 is squeezedbetween the cannula 14 and the nozzle with sufficient force. When thenozzle 60 is first pressed against the gland's seal section 10, the sealsection 10 is pressed toward the cannula 14, causing the hollow area 46of the seal section 10 down over the inlet end 38 of the cannula 14, asshown in FIG. 2. This motion causes the top of the inlet section 10 tofall below the exterior inlet face 52 of the housing, therebyfacilitating the centering of the nozzle 60.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, as the nozzle 60 is continued to be pushedinto the valve, the vent 16 allows the gland 12 to separate from theexpanding zone 44 of the inlet housing portion 34, thereby easing themovement of the gland 12 through the inlet housing portion 34. At somepoint as the cannula 14 is forced down into the valve, the cannula'soutlet end 58 separates from the gland 12, thereby opening up the secondseal area 22. This opening of the second seal area occurs as thecompressible, tubular section 18 of the gland 12 is compressed by thenozzle 60 pushing the cannula 14 downward. As shown in FIG. 4, furtherinsertion of the nozzle 60 into the valve results in the attachmentsection 20 of the gland stretching until it reaches the ledge 24, whichprevents further stretching of the attachment section 20.

FIG. 5 shows the nozzle 60 and the cannula's inlet end 38 having forcedopen the aperture 42 in the gland's seal section 10. Because the sealsection 10 is in the widened zone 44 of the housing's passageway, theseal section 10 has room to spread. After the seal section's aperture 42is opened, the luer-taper nozzle 60 should become fully seated in thetapered zone 40 of the inlet. If the nozzle 60 forces the cannula 14 toofar down, movement of the cannula 14 will be stopped by ribs 26. Theribs 26 permit flow between the cannula's outlet end and the outlethousing portion 48, even when the cannula 14 is pushed down all the way.After the nozzle is removed from the valve, the stretched attachmentsection 20 of the gland and the compressed tubular section of the gland18 tend to return to their original shapes, causing the seal section 10to be forced back into the tapered zone 40. Since, as noted above, thetapered zone 40 has a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of theseal section 10, the aperture 42 is squeezed closed, thereby returningthe valve to its closed mode.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment for the gland 20 shown in FIG. 1.The FIG. 7 gland is molded in two shots, so that the attachment section20 is made of a type of silicone or other material that has goodstretching properties, while the rest of the gland is made of materialthat has good compression properties. FIG. 8 shows a gland 12 madeaccording to a method that simplifies molding considerations. The gland12 is molded in the shape shown in FIG. 8, which shape is simpler tomold than the gland shape shown in FIGS. 1 and 7; the attachment section20 is folded upward prior to it being attached to the gland retentionarea (item 32 in FIG. 1) between the inlet housing portion 34 and theoutlet housing portion 48 during ultrasonic welding.

FIG. 9 shows a preferred embodiment of the gland that may be used in theFIG. 1 valve. The tubular section 18 a of the gland, instead of beingaccordion-shaped like the gland shown in FIG. 1, has a simple annulardesign. When the valve is assembled, this tubular section 18 a ispreferably preloaded in a compressed state when the valve is closed inorder to maintain sufficient sealing force at the seal area against theoutlet end of the cannula 14. As noted above, such preloading may beaccomplished by making the tubular section 18 a between the seal area 22and the section 54 of the gland that corresponds to the ledge on thecannula longer than the corresponding section on the cannula 14.

In order to reduce friction between the housing and the attachmentsection 20 b of the gland, the contact between the attachment sectionand the housing may be limited to a wiper member 74. The wiper member 74helps ensure that liquid does not make its way up into the sectionbetween the attachment section 20 b and the housing, while reducing thecontact area between the attachment section 20 b and the housing. Insuch an embodiment, the attachment section 20 b may include a vent porttherethrough in order to prevent a vacuum forming between the attachmentsection and the housing.

FIG. 10 shows an alternative valve design, wherein the cannula's outletend 58 a includes a leaf spring 62 to urge the cannula 14 a up into itsclosed position. Like the valve shown in FIG. 1, a widened area of thecannula's outlet end 58 a in the FIG. 10 valve forms a second seal area22 a, and a diverter channel 28 a redirects flow from the cannula's mainpassageway 36 a. Unlike the FIG. 1 valve, the attachment section 20 a ofthe gland 12 a in the FIG. 10 valve is not stretched, but rather itfolds upon itself. FIG. 11 shows a variation of the FIG. 10 valve. TheFIG. 11 valve is shown in the open position. As shown in FIG. 1, thegland's attachment section 20 a is folded as the valve is opened. In theFIG. 11 embodiment, the cannula's outlet end 22 b is shaped so as toprevent further movement of the cannula towards the valve's outlet 50while still permitting flow to the outlet.

FIG. 12 shows a variation of the FIG. 11 valve with a differentvariation of the leaf spring 62 a. In the FIG. 12 valve, a portion ofthe tapered zone 40 b of the valve's inlet has ribs 64, while anotherportion 65 of the tapered zone 40 b has a frusto-conical shape that isable to maintain contact around the entire circumference of the nozzle.The frusto-conical portion 65 maintains a seal between the nozzle andthe valve housing when the nozzle is inserted all the way into thevalve. The ribs 64 reduce the friction between the gland's seal section10 b and the tapered zone, so as to make it easier for the seal section10 b to return to its closed position when the nozzle is removed fromthe valve. The ribs 64 also provide a stronger hold on an insertednozzle than if the entire tapered zone 40 b had frusto-conical shape.The ribs provide a further benefit if a vent is not provided in theinlet housing portion: the ribs reduce the length that the gland has totravel without the space between the gland and the inlet housing portionbeing vented to atmosphere.

FIG. 13 shows the valve of FIG. 1 adapted to include ribs 64 a in thetapered zone 40 of the inlet section. These ribs 64 a may also be seenin FIG. 13A, which shows a cross section through the inlet section 40 ofthe FIG. 13 valve. FIG. 13 also shows the tapered sections of thehousing passageway that enable the cannula to properly return from thefully open position to the closed position. Specifically, the passagewaymay be considered to include three tapered sections (among othersections). The first section begins at the aperture compression zone 40and converges toward a point “X.” In preferred embodiments, the aperturecompression zone 40 has an inner diameter of about 0.169 inches andconverges toward point X, which has an inner diameter of about 0.162inches. The second section begins at point X and diverges toward a point“Y” which, in preferred embodiments, may have an inner diameter of about0.167 inches. The third section begins at point Y and diverges to apoint “Z” which, in preferred embodiments, may having an inner diameterof about 0.200 inches.

FIGS. 14A-14C show how the seal section 10 of the gland may respond tothe insertion of a nozzle 60 into the valve. When the valve is in theclosed position, as shown in FIG. 14A, the aperture 42 is closed withboth the bottom, point A, and the top, point B, of the aperture beingpressed together by the tapered zone of the housing 40. (The exterior ofthe housing's inlet section preferably includes threads 82 to acceptluer-lock threads surrounding a nozzle.) The nozzle 60 pushes thegland's seal section away from the exterior inlet face 52 and thetapered section 40 of the inlet. When the seal section reaches thewidened portion 44 of the inlet section, the aperture 42 opens, with thepoint B of the aperture spreading more than point A, as shown in FIG.14B. The shaping of the cannula's inlet end allows the aperture 42 to beopened quickly and closed quickly. As the nozzle 60 is inserted furtherinto the valve, as shown in FIG. 14C, the seal section 10 of the glandis prevented from being forced too far down the cannula by step 80 onthe cannula. Preferably, a portion of the gland remains between thecannula's inlet end 38 and the nozzle 60. The tip of the cannula's inletend is preferably rounded (bullet-nosed) to minimize cutting of thegland material between the cannula and the nozzle and to promote thecentering of the cannula's inlet end 38 with respect to the nozzle.

FIG. 15 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. Thisembodiment is similar to the FIG. 1 embodiment, as the FIG. 15embodiment includes a movable center cannula 14 b, located inside agland 12 b, which in turn is located within the passageway formed by theinlet housing portion 34 and the outlet housing portion 48. When thevalve is in the closed position, the gland's seal section 10 b is spacedaway from the top end 80 b of the cannula 14 b. When the valve is beingopened, as shown in FIGS. 16A-16D, the gland's seal section 10 b movestowards the cannula's top surface 80 b. This movement is limited by astep 91 on the inner surface of the gland 14 b, which prevents the sealsection 10 b from moving past cannula's top surface 80 b.

As shown in FIG. 16A, the seal section 10 b is substantially alignedwith the exterior inlet face 52 and extends slightly beyond the exteriorinlet face, so as to provide a swabbable surface. The outer diameter ofthe seal section 10 b is a little greater than the inner diameter of theinlet's tapered section 40, so that the resulting pressure keeps theaperture 42 closed when the valve is in the closed position. Because thevalve includes a high-pressure seal area 22, the seal section's aperture42 does not have to resist high back pressure.

As the nozzle 60 is inserted into the valve's inlet, as shown in FIG.16B, the gland's seal section 10 b is urged towards the cannula 14 b,which in turn is urged towards the valve's outlet 50. As the sealsection 10 moves from the inlet's tapered section 40 to the inlet'sexpanding section 44, which has a greater inner diameter than the sealsection's outer diameter, the aperture 42 in the gland's seal section 10begins to open, as can be seen in FIG. 16E. Also, the cannula's outletend 58 begins to separate from the gland 12 b, opening the high-pressureseal and providing fluid communication between the cannula's transversepassage 28 and the valve's outlet 50.

As the nozzle 60 is further inserted into the valve's inlet, as shown inFIG. 16C, the seal section 10 b moves further in the inlet's expandingsection 44, so that the increasing inner diameter of the inlet permitsthe seal section's aperture 42 to open further, as shown in FIG. 16F.The step 91 on the inner surface of the gland 14 b is pressed againstthe top surface 80 b of the cannula 14 b, so that further movement ofthe seal section 10 b towards the cannula 14 b causes deformation of thesidewalls 93 of the gland 12 b adjacent the seal section 10 b.

The cannula's top surface 80 b, along with the gland's inner lip 91,prevents the seal section 10 b from being pushed beyond the cannula'stop surface, as shown in FIG. 16D. FIG. 16D shows the nozzle 60 fullyinserted into the valve. The seal section's aperture 42 is fully opened,as shown in FIG. 16G. By keeping the seal section 10 b from being pushedbeyond the cannula's top surface 80 b, the seal section 10 b is able tospring back to its original position quickly, when the nozzle is removedfrom the valve.

FIG. 17 shows another alternative embodiment of the invention. Thisembodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 since itincludes a movable center cannula 14 c, located inside a gland 12 c,which in turn is located within the passageway formed by the inlethousing portion 34 and the outlet housing portion 48. When the valve isin the closed position, the gland's seal section 10 c is spaced awayfrom the top end 80 c of the cannula 14 c. When the valve is beingopened, as shown in FIGS. 18A-18D, the gland's seal section 10 c movestowards the cannula's top surface 80 c. This movement is limited by astep 91 c on the inner surface of the gland 12 c, which prevents theseal section 10 c from moving past cannula's top surface 80 c.

Improving upon the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the gland 12 c of FIG.17 includes a ridge 97 that normally is seated on a ledge 98 formed bythe interior walls of the outlet housing portion 48. In addition, thetapered outlet end 58 c of the cannula 14 c includes ribs 99 forlimiting longitudinal motion of the cannula 14 c toward the outlet end50 of the valve. Accordingly, there is no need for ribs to protrude fromthe interior walls of the outlet housing portion 48.

FIGS. 18A-18D show of the valve of FIG. 17 as it is urged by aluer-taper nozzle 60 from a substantially fully closed position to asubstantially fully open position. Specifically, in FIG. 18A, the sealsection 10 c is substantially aligned with the exterior inlet face 52and extends slightly beyond the exterior inlet face to provide aswabbable surface. The outer diameter of the seal section 10 c is alittle greater than the inner diameter of the inlet's tapered section40, so that the resulting pressure keeps the aperture 42 closed when thevalve is in the closed position. Because the valve includes thehigh-pressure seal area 22, the seal aperture 42 does not have to resisthigh back pressure.

As the nozzle 60 is inserted into the valve's inlet, as shown in FIG.18B, the gland's seal section 10 c is urged towards the cannula 14 c,which in turn is urged towards the valve's outlet 50. As the sealsection 10 c moves from the inlet's tapered section 40 to the inlet'sexpanding section 44, which has a greater inner diameter than the sealsection's outer diameter, the aperture 42 in the gland's seal section 10c begins to open. Also, the cannula's outlet end 58 c begins to separatefrom the gland 12 c, opening the high-pressure seal and providing fluidcommunication between the cannula's transverse passage 28 and thevalve's outlet 50.

As the nozzle 60 is further inserted into the valve's inlet, as shown inFIG. 18C, the seal section 10 c moves further in the inlet's expandingsection 44, so that the increasing inner diameter of the inlet permitsthe seal section's aperture 42 to open further. The step 91 c on theinner surface of the gland 12 c is pressed against the top surface 80 cof the cannula 14 c, so that further movement of the seal section 10 ctowards the cannula 14 c causes deformation of the sidewalls 93 of thegland 12 c adjacent the seal section 10 c.

The cannula's top surface 80 c, along with the gland's step 91 c,prevents the seal section 10 c from being pushed beyond the cannula'stop surface 80 c, as shown in FIG. 18D. FIG. 18D shows the nozzle 60fully inserted into the valve with the seal section's aperture 42 fullyopened. By keeping the seal section 10 c from being pushed beyond thecannula's top surface 80 c, the seal section 10 c is able to spring backto its original position quickly, when the nozzle is removed from thevalve. Moreover, the ribs 99 on the outlet end 58 c of the cannula 14 climit further longitudinal movement of the cannula 14 c toward theoutlet 50. It should be noted that the ridge 97 remains seated on theledge 98 throughout the entire process shown in FIGS. 18A-18D.

Although the invention has been described with reference to severalpreferred embodiments, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art that various modifications can be made without departing fromthe spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the claimshereinbelow.

1. A medical valve comprising: a housing defining a passageway, thepassageway having an inlet section and an outlet section; a plug membermovably mounted within the passageway, the plug member being a cannulaand defining a channel for directing fluid through the valve; and asubstantially flexible, resilient gland member secured to the housingand the plug member, the plug member being supported within thepassageway by the gland member, wherein the plug member is substantiallyrigid, wherein the plug member has a proximal end, a distal end, and adistal section, the plug member having an opening nearer to its distalend, the gland member normally occluding the opening and contacting thedistal section of the plug member, the distal section being the portionof the plug member distal to the opening.
 2. The valve as defined byclaim 1 wherein the plug member is movable between a closed mode thatprevents fluid flow through the valve, and an open mode that permitsfluid flow through the valve.
 3. The valve as defined by claim 2 whereinthe plug member prevents fluid flow through the valve when the valve isin the closed mode.
 4. The valve as defined by claim 2 wherein the plugmember occludes the passageway when the valve is in the closed mode. 5.The valve as defined by claim 2 wherein the plug member provides atleast a portion of an unoceluded fluid path through the valve when thevalve is in the open mode.
 6. The valve as defined by claim 1 whereinthe gland has a seal section, further wherein the inlet section of thehousing has an exterior inlet face, the seal section being substantiallyaligned with the exterior inlet face when the valve is closed to providea swabbable surface.
 7. The valve as defined by claim 1 wherein the plugmember has a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel with thedirection of motion of the plug member.
 8. The valve as defined by claim1 wherein the plug member is at least partially within the gland member.9. The valve as defined by claim 1 wherein the plug member is formedfrom a plug material, the gland member being formed from a glandmaterial, the plug material being different from the gland material. 10.The valve as defined by claim 1 wherein the housing comprises an inlethousing and an outlet housing, the gland member being secured betweenthe inlet housing and the outlet housing.
 11. The valve as defined byclaim 1 wherein the resilient gland member is attached to the housingand the plug member.
 12. The valve as defined by claim 1, wherein aportion of the resilient gland member circumscribes at least a portionof the plug member.
 13. The valve as defined by claim 1, wherein theopening allows fluid flow through the plug member when the valve is inan open mode.
 14. A medical valve comprising: a housing defining apassageway, the passageway having an inlet section and an outletsection; a plug member movably mounted within the passageway, the plugmember defining a channel for directing fluid through the valve; and asubstantially flexible, resilient gland member secured to the housingand the plug member, the plug member being supported within thepassageway by the gland member, wherein the plug member is substantiallyrigid, wherein the plug member has a proximal end, a distal end, and adistal section, the plug member having an opening nearer to its distalend, the gland member normally occluding the opening and contacting thedistal section of the plug member, the distal section of the plug memberbeing the portion of the plug member distal to the opening.
 15. Thevalve as defined by claim 14 wherein the plug member is movable betweena closed mode that prevents fluid flow through the valve, and an openmode that permits fluid flow through the valve.
 16. The valve as definedby claim 15 wherein the plug member prevents fluid flow through thevalve when the valve is in the closed mode.
 17. The valve as defined byclaim 15 wherein the plug member occludes the passageway when the valveis in the closed mode.
 18. The valve as defined by claim 15 wherein theplug member provides at least a portion of an unoccluded fluid paththrough the valve when the valve is in the open mode.
 19. The valve asdefined by claim 14 wherein the gland has a seal section, furtherwherein the inlet section of the housing has an exterior inlet face, theseal section being substantially aligned with the exterior inlet facewhen the valve is closed to provide a swabbable surface.
 20. The valveas defined by claim 14 wherein the plug member has a longitudinal axisthat is substantially parallel with the direction of motion of the plugmember.
 21. The valve as defined by claim 14 wherein the plug member isat least partially within the gland member.
 22. The valve as defined byclaim 14 wherein the plug member is formed from a plug material, thegland member being formed from a gland material, the plug material beingdifferent from the gland material.
 23. The valve as defined by claim 14wherein the housing comprises an inlet housing and an outlet housing,the gland member being secured between the inlet housing and the outlethousing.
 24. A medical valve comprising: a housing defining apassageway, the passageway having an inlet section and an outletsection; a plug member movably mounted within the passageway, the plugmember being a cannula, wherein the plug member is movable between aclosed mode that prevents fluid flow through the valve, and an open modethat permits fluid flow through the valve, the plug member providing atleast a portion of an unoccluded fluid path through the valve when thevalve is in the open mode; and a substantially flexible, resilient glandmember secured to the housing and the plug member, the plug member beingsupported within the passageway by the gland member, wherein the plugmember is substantially rigid, wherein the plug member has a proximalend, a distal end, and a distal section, the plug member having anopening nearer to its distal end, the gland member normally occludingthe opening and contacting the distal section of the plug member, thedistal section of the plug member being the portion of the plug memberdistal to the opening.
 25. The valve as defined by claim 24 wherein theplug member defines a channel for directing fluid through the valve. 26.The valve as defined by claim 24 wherein the plug member prevents fluidflow through the valve when the valve is in the closed mode.
 27. Thevalve as defined by claim 24 wherein the plug member occludes thepassageway when the valve is in the closed mode.
 28. The valve asdefined by claim 24 wherein the gland has a seal section, furtherwherein the inlet section of the housing has an exterior inlet face, theseal section being substantially aligned with the exterior inlet facewhen the valve is closed to provide a swabbable surface.
 29. The valveas defined by claim 24 wherein the plug member has a longitudinal axisthat is substantially parallel with the direction of motion of the plugmember.
 30. The valve as defined by claim 24 wherein the plug member isat least partially within the gland member.
 31. The valve as defined byclaim 24 wherein the plug member is formed from a plug material, thegland member being formed from a gland material, the plug material beingdifferent from the gland material.
 32. The valve as defined by claim 24wherein the housing comprises an inlet housing and an outlet housing,the gland member being secured between the inlet housing and the outlethousing.
 33. A medical valve comprising: a housing defining apassageway, the passageway having an inlet section and an outletsection; a plug member movably mounted within the passageway, whereinthe plug member is movable between a closed mode that prevents fluidflow through the valve, and an open mode that permits fluid flow throughthe valve, the plug member providing at least a portion of an unoccludedfluid path through the valve when the valve is in the open mode; and asubstantially flexible, resilient gland member secured to the housingand the plug member, the plug member being supported within thepassageway by the gland member, wherein the plug member is substantiallyrigid, wherein the plug member has a proximal end, a distal end, and adistal section, the plug member having an opening nearer to its distalend, the gland member normally occluding the opening and contacting thedistal section of the plug member, the distal section of the plug memberbeing the portion of the plug member distal to the opening.
 34. Thevalve as defined by claim 33 wherein the plug member defines a channelfor directing fluid through the valve.
 35. The valve as defined by claim33 wherein the plug member prevents fluid flow through the valve whenthe valve is in the closed mode.
 36. The valve as defined by claim 33wherein the plug member occludes the passageway when the valve is in theclosed mode.
 37. The valve as defined by claim 33 wherein the gland hasa seal section, further wherein the inlet section of the housing has anexterior inlet face, the seal section being substantially aligned withthe exterior inlet face when the valve is closed to provide a swabbablesurface.
 38. The valve as defined by claim 33 wherein the plug memberhas a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel with thedirection of motion of the plug member.
 39. The valve as defined byclaim 33 wherein the plug member is at least partially within the glandmember.
 40. The valve as defined by claim 33 wherein the plug member isformed from a plug material, the gland member being formed from a glandmaterial, the plug material being different from the gland material. 41.The valve as defined by claim 33 wherein the housing comprises an inlethousing and an outlet housing, the gland member being secured betweenthe inlet housing and the outlet housing.